OCTOB ER 20 11
nsmcNow!
THE NEWS OF NORTH SHORE ME DI CA L CE NTE R
It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane…
It’s an NSMC Flu Fighter?
Adrienne Allen, M.D., M.P.H., a new primary care physician at the North Shore Physicians Group practice
in Danvers works with a patient.
PRIMARY CARE TAKES
CENTER STAGE
Donning red capes and blue superhero shirts,
the NSMC Flu Fighters took to the hallways
of Salem and Union hospitals earlier this fall
to spread the good word on flu prevention.
Their message was simple: we must all take a
stand against seasonal influenza—the health
of our patients, colleagues and loved ones
depends on it! This means getting vaccinated,
maintaining good hand hygiene, covering
one’s mouth when coughing and staying
home if sick.
Part of a short promotional video
produced by the NSMC Marketing and
Public Affairs departments, The Flu Fighters
may look cartoonish, but their message is not.
“Influenza vaccination is highly valued here
at NSMC and across Partners HealthCare as
a means of keeping our patients and
caregivers healthy,” says Mitch Rein, M.D.,
Senior Vice President for Medical Affairs and
Chief Medical Officer. “Influenza
vaccination rates are also reported to the
Massachusetts Department of Public Health
continued on page 4
NSPG BEGINS TRANSITION TO PATIENT-CENTERED
MEDICAL HOME CARE MODEL
cross the United States, intense pressure to control healthcare costs while
further improving quality is driving hospitals and physicians to be more
innovative. Here at home, teams at North Shore Physicians Group
(NSPG) are leading the way, recognizing that primary care will play the
lead role in creating a more efficient healthcare system.
For years, primary care physicians have been the foundation of the healthcare
system, serving as a patient’s trusted advisor and initial point of contact for all
medical matters. This role will be further enhanced with the new Patient-Centered
Medical Home (PCMH) care delivery model that NSPG practices are rolling out
over the next 18 months. Rapidly gaining acceptance on the national level, the
medical home model is proven to improve clinical outcomes, expand access to care,
A
continued on page 2
Chantelle Porter, Support Associate on Phippen 6, is
one of many NSMC employees featured in a new video
promoting safe practices during flu season.
[
“This model offers a
care that is led by th
but also enlists an e
nurses, care manage
health specialists an
Above: Paul Nemeskal, M.D., a new primary care physician at the North Shore Physicians Group practice in Danvers,
working with his colleague Mary Messana, M.A. Right: NSPG Leadership (L–R): Sharon Lucie, Vice President of
Operations; Steven Kapfhammer, President; and Maury McGough, M.D., President of North Shore Health System.
Medical Home continued from page 1
enhance patient satisfaction and reduce
healthcare costs. All Partners-affiliated
primary care practices will transition to
the PCMH model by 2013.
“This model offers an integrated
approach to care that is led by the
primary care provider, but also enlists
an entire team that includes nurses, care
managers, nutritionists, behavioral
health specialists and pharmacists,” says
Steven Kapfhammer, President of North
Shore Physicians Group. “Together, this
group manages the patient’s care in a
proactive manner, focusing on wellness
and prevention.” The care, he adds, is
facilitated through technology like
electronic health records, allowing
physicians to measure quality, determine
best practices and closely track each
patient’s care.
“Today, our interactions with
patients tend to be episodic and
illness-oriented,” says Maury
McGough, M.D., President of
North Shore Health System and
herself a primary care physician
practicing in Salem. “As a
medical home, however, a team
in our practice will actively reach
out to the patient instead of
waiting for them to come to us.”
To illustrate her point, Dr. McGough
describes how a typical patient with
diabetes will benefit from the new care
model. “In our existing system, a patient
with diabetes comes in once a year for a
physical and then every three months to
have a blood test. In the medical home
model, this patient will do the same, but
they will also meet with a nurse specialist
between visits to discuss medications and
lifestyle issues. This nurse will also be
Primary Care: Before and After Redesign
Today’s Care
Patient-Centered Medical Home
Patient visits physician for annual physical or due to illness
Practice systematically assesses patient’s health needs and
proactively schedules appointments
Patient calls office to make appointment, often scheduled weeks into
the future
Practice is more accessible, offering expanded hours (includin
evenings/weekends) as well as email and telephone consultati
Patient must remember medical history, recent tests and medications
Practice tracks health history using electronic medical record
Physician provides care based on skill and knowledge of patient
Physician’s skills are enhanced by evidence-based guidelines
Patient is responsible for coordinating their own care
Physicians, nurses and care managers in the practice
coordinate the patient’s care
Patient follows physician recommendations, offers little input into
care plan
Patient is an active participant in care plan and is given the
opportunity to provide feedback
Physician relies on training and past experience to assess outcomes
Practice measures quality and continuously works to improve
Clinical operations revolve around needs of the physician and practice
All clinical operations revolve around the needs of the patient
Practice is reimbursed for each service provided to patient
Practice is reimbursed for keeping the patient healthy
Source: Based on information by Daniel Duffy, M.D., School of Community Medicin
2
an integrated approach to
he primary care provider,
entire team that includes
ers, nutritionists, behavioral
nd pharmacists.”
available by phone
or email to answer
questions. This
approach helps
keep patients out
of the hospital,
which helps
reduce everyone’s
healthcare costs.
As a primary care
physician, there’s
just no way I
could ever provide this kind of attention to
every single patient without the support of a
team. The medical home offers better care in
a more cost-effective manner.”
To prepare for the transition to the
PCMH model, NSPG is doing a
tremendous amount of work behind the
scenes. “Getting our practices ready to meet
the criteria set forth by the National
Committee for Quality Assurance and other
certifying agencies means major changes
in the way we work,” says Sharon Lucie,
NSPG Vice President of Operations.
These changes range from numerous
process improvement projects—ensuring
that the organization is run with maximum
efficiency—to expanded training for all
clinical staff. There is also work underway
to improve access to care (including
shared medical appointments and increased
participation in the online Patient
Gateway system); roll out new technologies
to help assess, track and manage patients;
and hire nurse care managers and
behavioral health specialists.
“It’s an exceptionally busy time at
NSPG, but it is also an exciting time
because we are right out front,” says
Lucie. “There is no question that the
medical home model represents the very
best way to deliver primary care. It’s the
gold standard.”
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3
Take a Look!
Patient Satisfaction Now on Display
To build a Culture of Excellence, NSMC has made creating a perfect
patient experience one of its primary goals. With that in mind,
inpatients, visitors and staff will soon be able to view a year’s worth of
patient satisfaction data on most inpatient units at both Salem and
Union hospitals.
“We are installing these large display panels in high-visibility
locations to engage staff, patients and visitors in our improvement
initiatives,” says Bea Thibedeau, R.N., Senior Vice President of Patient
Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer. “On each floor, our goal is to
reinforce the priorities of NSMC’s Culture of Excellence, involve
patients in their own care and build teamwork around patient
satisfaction improvement.”
Members of the Davenport 7 team with their data display (L–R) Linda Anthony, T.N.A., Maria
Hammond, R.N., Ellen Cole, R.N., and Lana Danish, R.N., Director of Med/Surg Nursing.
The displays feature easy-to-read charts based on the Hospital
Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS)
survey, the first national, standardized survey of patients’ perspectives of
hospital care. The telephone survey measures patients’ experiences and
publicly reports information that helps patients compare hospitals locally
and nationally. Public reporting of the results creates incentives for
hospitals to improve quality of care.
“Our staff has been working hard to improve satisfaction scores
around the information we give to patients at the time of discharge,” says
Lana Danish, R.N., Director of Med/Surg Nursing. “This display helps
keep us focused on our results, and patients and visitors seem to
appreciate our up-front approach.”
In each case, information on the display includes patients’
willingness-to-recommend the unit; one of the unit’s areas of service
strength; focus areas for improvement; descriptions of improvement
initiatives; and a photo of unit staff. The data includes satisfaction with
both nurse and physician caregivers.
The displays are being installed on most of NSMC’s adult
medical/surgical floors at the Union and Salem campuses. Nationally,
intensive care and pediatric units do not participate in HCAHPS. In a
second phase to follow, the EDs, ICUs and the departments of pediatrics
and psychiatry will consider the best ways of sharing comparable patient
satisfaction data.
nsmcPeople
Flu Fighters continued from page 1
Ellen Arrington, R.N., Program Manager, Critical Care Medicine
At present, there are no fewer than 20 process improvement projects
underway between NSMC’s two intensive care units, each intended to
enhance the patient experience and deliver better outcomes. These
projects range from promoting hand hygiene to examining protocols
around ventilated patients and each comes with an associated workgroup that is responsible for collecting and analyzing data and identifying
opportunities for improvement.
Ellen Arrington, R.N., Program Manager in Critical Care Medicine,
is actively involved in more than half of these projects and serves as an
important resource for the entire department when it comes to process
improvement. “Our goal is to always provide high-quality, safe,
patient-centered critical care,” says Arrington.
“The question we constantly ask ourselves is,
how do we know whether we are reaching this
goal? What are the measures that verify our
success? What can we do better?”
Arrington is uniquely qualified to help answer
these questions. Having worked at NSMC off and
on since 1981 in a variety of both clinical and
administrative positions, she brings a depth of
knowledge and understanding to the table that has proven invaluable. “This job really seems like the
culmination of everything I’ve ever done before,” she says, citing her work as a nurse in the ICU and ED
as well as positions in compliance and finance. She has also received additional training in process
improvement and change management.
“It has been my experience that, if you focus enough attention on any problem area, you can usually
figure out a way to make it better.” In addition to her process improvement work, Arrington also
oversees the NSMC Intensivist Program.
[
“Our goal is to always
provide high-quality,
safe, patient-centered
critical care.”
Volunteers Needed for Free Smoking Cessation Study
Trying to kick your smoking habit? NSMC researchers are looking for volunteers to participate in a study
called HYPQUIT that explores how hypnosis can be used as an aid in smoking cessation. The study is
designed for smokers interested in receiving free hypnosis treatment combined with more tradition methods
for smoking cessation. Participants will get a minimum of one hypnotherapy session, a hypnosis CD for
home use, up to five on-site visits and follow-up phone call counseling over a 12-month period.
To find out more about HYPQUIT, call 978-745-4391, ext. 247.
each year and are publicly available as an
indicator of our willingness to do what is
right for patients.”
Massachusetts requires that all hospital
workers be vaccinated or sign a form
declining the shot. The rules allow for
medical and religious exemptions. NSMC
employees must electronically confirm
their seasonal flu vaccination status in
PeopleSoft no later than December 16.
Occupational Health Services will be
holding walk-in flu clinics for employees
throughout the fall on the Salem and
Union campuses. Individual
appointments can also be made by calling
978-354-2353 (Salem) or 781-477-3211
(Union).
To watch the video, visit NSMC’s
YouTube Channel:
www.youtube.com/northshoremedcenter.
Family Resource Center
Trapped Inside the Cruel Beast of Obsessive
Compulsive Disorder. This is a three-part
educational series for OCD sufferers of all ages
and the families of those with OCD. Group
Facilitator: Cathy Goldstein Mullin, LICSW,
MassGeneral for Children at North Shore Medical
Center. Held on October 20, 27 and November 3
at the Family Resource Center, fourth floor of
MassGeneral for Children at North Shore Medical
Center. 6:00–7:30 p.m. $35 per participant for
complete series. Please call 978-354-2670 or
email [email protected] for more
information or to register.
Employee Assistance Program
Achievements
Betsey Allen, R.N., B.S.N., C.C.R.N., of the Union ICU, has successfully passed the American
Association of Critical Care Nurses specialty exam.
Diane Burridge, R.N., presented “Using Nursing Assessment to Help Meet Core Measures and Quality
Standards” at the Siemens Innovations Conference in Las Vegas on August 15, 2011.
Catherine Gallant, R.N., B.S.N., C.C.R.N., of the Union ICU, has successfully passed the American
Association of Critical Care Nurses specialty exam.
David Locke, R.N., a long-time surgical technologist at Union Hospital, recently graduated from North
Shore Community College with a degree in nursing.
Bridget Hurlbert-Webster, R.N., B.S.N., C.C.R.N., clinical staff nurse in the Cardiac Surgery Unit,
recently passed the American Association of Critical Care Nurses specialty exam.
nsmcNow!
The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is a
workplace-based consultation, short-term
counseling, information and referral program for
employees and their families. The EAP offers
assistance with all types of personal, family or
work-related concerns. For more information
call 866-724-4327 or visit eap.partners.org.
Has Someone Made Your Day?
“Made Someone’s Day?” is a simple and easy
employee recognition program to acknowledge
and celebrate service excellence at NSMC.
Honor your colleagues: call 781-581-4567,
e-mail [email protected] or
submit an online recognition form found on
the NSMCConnect homepage.
Do you have news or ideas to share? Let us know. Contact editor Bill Ewing at 978-354-2161
or [email protected]. NSMC Now! is produced by NSMC’s Department of Communications
and Public Affairs.
THE NE WS OF NORTH SHORE ME D I CA L CENTE R
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